Sofia von Humboldt

ISPA Instituto Universitário | ISPA · WJCR - William James Center for Research

Objectives: The population’s increased longevity is leading to a worldwide concern about older adults’ well-being and about the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes. The present research intends to: (a) determine significant differences among three groups of older adults with diverse diabetes diagnosis, namely, participants with only type...

Objectives: To analyze sexual well-being (SWB) in older adults’ perspective, to investigate the latent constructs that can work as major determinants in SWB and to examine the potential explanatory mechanisms of a SWB overall model, in an older cross-national sample. Method: Measures were completed, using a variety of appropriate methods, including...

Objectives: To analyze the contributors to Sexual Unwellness (SU) and to explore the latent constructs that can work as major determinants in SU for a cross-national older community-dwelling population.Methods: Study design: Complete data were available for 109 English and Portuguese older adults, aged between 65 and 87 years old (M=70.1, SD=5.99)....

Objectives: Literature suggests some inconsistent results in the validity and reliability of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SwLS) in older samples. The objective was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the SwLS in a cross-cultural sample of older adults.Methods: This is a validation study to assess the psychometric properties of the SWLS...

Objectives: Positive and negative affect is a relevant facet of well-being for community-dwelling older adults. This article reports the validation of the Positive And Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), by means of confirmatory analysis.Methods: A community-dwelling cross-national sample of 1291 older adults aged 75 years-old and older voluntarily comp...

Objectives: While many people strive for a fulfilling sexual life as they age, the inevitable changes that come with aging can present significant challenges concerning their sexual well-being (SWB). This study aims to present a comparative analysis of the scores in the variables of sexual satisfaction, adjustment to aging (AtA), and satisfaction w...

Aim: Older age is not a homogenous or stereotypical experience. Age-stereotypical representations can often be disconnected from older people’s own experiences. Challenging the status quo is relevant for aging well. The aim of this study is to analyze older adults’ perspectives on stereotypical versus their own age representations. Method: This qua...

Sexual satisfaction, adjustment to aging, and satisfaction with life are relevant dimensions of overall well-being across the life cycle. Through cluster analysis procedures, this study aims to describe the specific profile of adjustment to aging, sexual satisfaction and satisfaction with life of adults across the life span. This cross-sectional st...

Sexual well-being (SWB) is a significant and understudied element of older adults’ health and well-being, and quality of life. The goal of this systematic review is to identify the researched topics in this field and assess the quality of the research while minimizing bias through a peer-to-peer review process. We searched several databases, includ...

This study sheds light on the personal characteristics of older Canadians self-identifying as severely anxious and the coping strategies that they gravitated to mitigate their anxiety. Our studied sample consisted of 606 Canadians aged 60 and above who took part in an e-survey across all 10 of Canada’s provinces, launched in July 2022, when social...

This study aims to explore the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on heterosexual older couples’ sexual intimacy and in relation to their mental health. A content analysis of the ideas and insights shared by 391 older persons (between 65 and 87 years of age) from three different countries was most instructive. The most frequent themes were less sex...

Symposium showcasing 3 scientific papers on mentally healthy living post-COVID-19, and with respect to older persons being mental health promotion stewards and thus agents of change, and the complexities of mental health recovery work.

Introduction Human functioning in the physical, emotional, psychological, and social arenas is improved by contact with animals. Objectives This study aimed to explore the affective relationship of older adults with their pets during the COVID-19 pandemic; and to assess how the affective relationship with pets contributed to older adults’ mental h...

Introduction Sexual unwellness (SU) has been linked to a lack of sexual satisfaction and to an incapacity to maintain sexual relations. Objectives The objective of this cross-cultural study is to shed light on older adults’ perspectives on SU across cultures. Methods Eighty-three older participants (65 to 98 years of age) took part in this qualit...

Introduction The relationship between obesity and mental health in old age is complex and widely impacted by different biological, psychological, and social factors. Objectives The primary objectives of this qualitative research study are: a) To understand the influence of obesity on older adults’ well-being; b) to assess emotional experiences rel...

Introduction Sexual satisfaction is relevant to aging well, throughout the lifespan. Objectives This study aims to compare the perspectives of sexual satisfaction and adjustment to aging in three age cohorts, across the life span; and to analyze whether sexual satisfaction influences the perceptions of AtA. Methods This cross-sectional study comp...

Introduction Ageist beliefs and attitudes may restrict the opportunities for older adults to participate actively in their communities, resulting in strong effects on mental health. Objectives This study has three objectives: 1) To investigate the effect of ageism on older adults’ civic activities; 2) To analyze the influence of ageism on mental h...

Objectives: Paternalistic care behavior in health contexts reduces involvement in the decision-making process and dissatisfaction in healthcare, which may negatively influence older adults’ mental health. This study comprised two main objectives: (1) to explore older adults’ experiences of paternalistic behavior in the context of health services an...

Objectives: Perspectives on sexual unwellness (SU), referring to difficulties in achieving sexual satisfaction and maintaining sexual relationships, may vary across different cultural contexts. Understanding how cultural factors such as social norms, religion, family values, and help-seeking behaviors influence SU is crucial. This cross-cultural st...

Southern European countries have shown indicators of accelerated aging. In Portugal, a particularly worrying aspect of this reality lies in the relationship between the aging process and the incidence of violence in older adults, as the degree of dependence and/or health status becomes a significant risk factor for the occurrence of violence. The o...

Violent, abusive, and harmful behavior enacted by older adults upon their caregivers represents a distressing and frequently disregarded facet within the domain of caregiving. This qualitative study aims to (a) explore family caregivers’ experiences of violent, abusive, and harmful behavior by the older person and (b) explore how violent, abusive,...

Objectives: From a cross-cultural perspective, aging well may encompass pertinent challenges in terms of adjustment, sexual well-being, and satisfaction with life in the late years. Considering the paucity of empirical data concerning cultural diversity of experiencing aging, this study aims to help fill this gap by assessing the specific patterns...

This study aims to assess the patterns of life satisfaction with life (SwL), sexual satisfaction, and adjustment to aging (AtA), of older adults in Mexico and Portugal. A sample of 658 older adults, aged 65 years-old and older, from Mexico and Portugal were recruited for this cross-cultural study. The following measures were applied: (a) Adjustment...

At the beginning of July 2022, when public health restrictions were lifted, we deployed a country-wide e-survey about how older people were managing now after COVID-19 pandemic-related anxiety. Our responder sample was stratified by age, sex, and education to approximate the Canadian population. E-survey responders were asked to share open-text mes...

Objectives: This study has three objectives: A) To investigate the relationship of ageism on older adults' civic activities; B) To analyze the influence of ageism on mental health; and C) To explore the impact of civic participation on older adults' mental health. Method: This qualitative study included 782 older people from three different nati...

BACKGROUND Older people are experts on what a quality social life looks like while living most at risk for COVID-19-related health harms. Older Canadians have helped raise awareness of the physical and mental detriments of social isolation. Remedial initiatives that build on older people’s lived experiences are also important initiatives. OBJECTIV...

Background: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, older Canadians were the most at risk of severe physical harm, including death, and their return to post-COVID life was expected to be especially anxiety-provoking. A study was conducted to obtain nationally representative evidence of older Canadians' self-perceived anxiety levels and their strategies...

O idadismo pode a influenciar participação cívica dos idosos com efeito na saúde mental. Este estudo teve como questão de investigação: Como o idadismo e a participação cívica intervêm na saúde mental dos idosos? e apresentou três objetivos: investigar o efeito do idadismo nas atividades cívicas dos idosos; analisar a influência do idadismo na saúd...

A recente pandemia Covid-19 teve um forte impacto nas relações entre os idosos, nomeadamente ao nível da intimidade sexual e consequente saúde mental dos idosos. A questão de investigação foi a seguinte: Como a pandemia da COVID-19 influenciou a intimidade sexual e a saúde mental dos idosos?, e os objetivos do estudo os seguintes: (1) Analisar o ef...

O diagnóstico e a progressão da demência têm implicações na capacidade dos idosos receberem, experimentarem e expressarem a sua sexualidade. Este estudo tem como objetivo descrever os fatores que influenciam a perceção da díade de idosos sobre a sua expressão sexual, após o diagnóstico de demência de um dos cônjuges. Trata-se de um estudo de nature...

O individuo pode apresentar alterações que levem ao surgimento de dificuldades e/ou disfunções sexuais. Uma das dificuldades mais comuns na mulher, é sentir desejo ou excitação e isso pode dever-se a fatores psicológicos como a ansiedade. O objetivo deste estudo visa explorar de que forma a ansiedade influencia o desejo sexual da mulher. Neste estu...

O diagnóstico de demência de um dos cônjuges da díade tem implicações na forma como os idosos se expressam sexualmente. Estudos anteriores focam-se na atividade sexual, negligenciando o amplo espetro da sexualidade. Este estudo tem como objetivo identificar o conceito de expressão sexual e perceber de que forma a díade de idosos expressa a sua sexu...

O diagnóstico e a progressão da demência têm implicações na capacidade dos idosos receberem, experimentarem e expressarem a sua sexualidade. Este estudo tem como objetivo descrever os fatores que influenciam a perceção da díade de idosos sobre a sua expressão sexual, após o diagnóstico de demência de um dos cônjuges. Trata-se de um estudo de nature...

O acentuado envelhecimento populacional é um fenómeno contemporâneo, especialmente notável nos países ocidentais e europeus. Até 2050, prevê-se que a população com mais de 65 anos duplique, acarretando desafios sociais, pessoais e relacionais significativos para os idosos. A investigação em saúde e segurança dos idosos tem crescido nas últimas déca...

O acentuado envelhecimento populacional é um fenómeno contemporâneo, especialmente notável nos países ocidentais e europeus. Até 2050, prevê-se que a população com mais de 65 anos duplique, acarretando desafios sociais, pessoais e relacionais significativos para os idosos. A investigação em saúde e segurança dos idosos tem crescido nas últimas déca...

Objetivos: A recente pandemia trouxe mudanças duradouras com impacto na saúde mental da população. Desta forma, é relevante a compreensão de desafios ao longo do ciclo de vida que englobam por um lado a interação entre a saúde mental, e as dimensões do bem-estar sexual, (e.g., intimidade, desejo e expressão sexual), e por outro, a relação com o ida...

O idadismo pode a influenciar participação cívica dos idosos com efeito na saúde mental. Este estudo teve como questão de investigação: Como o idadismo e a participação cívica intervêm na saúde mental dos idosos? e apresentou três objetivos: investigar o efeito do idadismo nas atividades cívicas dos idosos; analisar a influência do idadismo na saúd...

O diagnóstico de demência de um dos cônjuges da díade tem implicações na forma como os idosos se expressam sexualmente. Estudos anteriores focam-se na atividade sexual, negligenciando o amplo espetro da sexualidade. Este estudo tem como objetivo identificar o conceito de expressão sexual e perceber de que forma a díade de idosos expressa a sua sexu...

A recente pandemia Covid-19 teve um forte impacto nas relações entre os idosos, nomeadamente ao nível da intimidade sexual e consequente saúde mental dos idosos. A questão de investigação foi a seguinte: Como a pandemia da COVID-19 influenciou a intimidade sexual e a saúde mental dos idosos?, e os objetivos do estudo os seguintes: (1) Analisar o ef...

Objetivos: A recente pandemia trouxe mudanças duradouras com impacto na saúde mental da população. Desta forma, é relevante a compreensão de desafios ao longo do ciclo de vida que englobam por um lado a interação entre a saúde mental, e as dimensões do bem-estar sexual, (e.g., intimidade, desejo e expressão sexual), e por outro, a relação com o ida...

O individuo pode apresentar alterações que levem ao surgimento de dificuldades e/ou disfunções sexuais. Uma das dificuldades mais comuns na mulher, é sentir desejo ou excitação e isso pode dever-se a fatores psicológicos como a ansiedade. O objetivo deste estudo visa explorar de que forma a ansiedade influencia o desejo sexual da mulher. Neste estu...

Introduction Sexual satisfaction is relevant to aging well, throughout the lifespan. This study aims to compare the perspectives of sexual satisfaction and adjustment to aging (AtA) in three age cohorts across the lifespan and to analyze whether sexual satisfaction influences the perceptions of AtA. Methods This cross-sectional study comprised 619...

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic older adults experienced a variety of symptoms of anxiety. They employed a number of different strategies to deal with these. The aim of this study was to create a blueprint of older Canadians’ symptoms of pandemic-related anxiety and coping strategies, and linkages among and between them. Particular attentio...

Background/Context: Discriminatory and abusive behaviors may strongly affect older LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more) adults, and poorer health is linked to discriminating practices. Shame is associated with ageism and sexual orientation-based discrimination and may be a significant imp...

National e-survey findings about coping strategies and anxiety.

Age-peer advice findings about reducing social isolation when public health measures were lifting across Canada.

This cross-sectional e-survey study examines the suitability (reliability and validity) of the 12-item Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire Short Form (AAQ-SF) for use among adults in their 50s. The AAQ-SF instrument was originally designed to capture subjective perceptions of physical change, psychosocial loss, and psychological growth by asking peopl...

In response to the isolation that many older adults experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Gail Low, associate professor of nursing at the University of Alberta and her Living Well Research Team conceived of an innovative and groundbreaking project - Living After Social Distancing—A Study of Older Canadians. This project studied the effects...

Introduction The aging population in the developed world has implied increasing age diversity in the workforce of organizations. Consequently, mutual perceptions about one’s co-workers and age discrimination is becoming increasingly important. Objectives This study aims to explore how perceptions about older workers’ work (un)adaptability, work ef...

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic may affect sexual intimacy and have implications for overall sexual well-being. Objectives This study comprised two main objectives: 1) To explore the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on older couples’ sexual intimacy; and 2) To assess how older couples’ sexual intimacy during the COVID-19 pandemic influences menta...

Introduction Gaining competitive advantage is essential to modern organizations, for which it is fundamental that workers are engaged with their work. Perceived age discrimination in the workplace is a factor that may influence workers’ engagement. Objectives The present study aimed to analyze the moderating role of emotional regulation in the rel...

The aging population in the developed world has implied increasing age diversity in the workforce of organizations. Consequently, mutual perceptions about one’s coworkers and age discrimination are becoming increasingly important. This study aims to explore how perceptions about older workers’ work (un)adaptability, work effectiveness, and workplac...